Can opener with magnetic cutting chip catcher

ABSTRACT

The can opener support has a cutter element, such as a rotary cutter mounted thereon, adjacent a transport wheel to provide for relative movement of the cutter, and a can pinched between the cutter and the transport wheel. To catch cutting chips and prevent their falling into the can being opened, a magnet, preferably a bar magnet is located adjacent the cutter wheel but spaced therefrom by a small air gap, the bar magnet being for example 3-5 mm in diameter and having a length about three to five times the diameter, extending at about a right angle from the support to about the distance of the cutter wheel from the support, and being located so that its lower edge is about at the level of the portion of the cutter element which extends over the edge of the can being opened.

United States Patent 1 Steiner 1 "1] 3,766,647 Oct. 23, 1973 [76] Inventor: Walter Steiner, Oberseenerstrasse l4, Winterthur, Switzerland [22] Filed: Feb. 7, 1972 [21] Appl. No.2 223,889

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. I0, 1971 Switzerland l960/7l [52] US. Cl. 30/9, 7/l4.2 R, 30/64 [51] Int. Cl B26b 7/34 [58] Field of Search 30/3, 6.4, 124; 7/l4.2 R; 209/223; 30/9 Great Britain 30/64 Primary Examiner-Othell M. Simpson Assistant ExaminerGary L. Smith Attorney-Robert D. Flynn et al.

[57] ABSTRACT The can opener support has a cutter element, such as a rotary cutter mounted thereon, adjacent a transport wheel to provide for relative movement of the cutter, and a can pinched between the cutter and the transport wheel. To catch cutting chips and prevent their falling into the can being opened, a magnet, preferably a bar magnet is located adjacent the cutter wheel but spaced therefrom by a small air gap, the bar magnet being for example 3-5 mm in diameter and having a length about three to five times the diameter, extending at about a right angle from the support to about the distance of the cutter wheel from the support, and being located so that its lower edge is about at the level of the portion of the cutter element which extends over the edge of the can being opened.

8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures CAN OPENER WITH MAGNETIC CUTTING CHIP CATCI-IER Cross reference to related patent: U.S. 3,570,027.

The present invention relates to a can opener and more particularly to a can opener which has a transport wheel which cooperated with a cutter element, typically a cutting wheel.

Can openers which utilize a cutting wheel and associated transport wheel to move the can with respect to the cutter wheel are known. The transport wheel, possibly together with a cutter wheel, can be operated manually or by other means, for example, electrically. Can openers of the type having cutters which cooperate with transport wheels have the disadvantageous that, as the cover lid of a can is being opened, small cutting chips are severed which may fall into a can. It is difficult to completely remove such chips from the contents of the can due to their very small size; cutting chips remaining in the contents of the can may present a health hazard upon consumption of the contents.

It has been proposed to associate a pair of bar magnets with the cutter element in such a manner that the two magnets form an engaging contact with the cutting element. Magnetization of the cutting element, typically of steel, causes chips arising upon opening of the can to adhere to the cutter element, so that they can be stripped off. during operation of the can opener. It has been found that it is difficult to arrange a pair of magnets on such a can opener due to the required space; additionally, the costs of such magnet is'considerable.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a can opener which is simple, and which can be made ins expensively, andwhich is so constructed that cutting chips arising upon opening of a can will not fall into the interior of the can.

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Briefly, at least one magnet is located on the can opener in such a manner that it is close to, but not touching the cutter-element, that is, is spaced therefrom by a slight air gap. By leaving a small air gap, cutting chips which arise due to the cutting operation of the can opener will be atrracted by the magnet, but the cutting element itself will be kept free of these chips.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment, the magnet is a bar magnet which is secured at one face end to the support of the can opener in which the cutting element, typically a cuttingrwheel, is journalled. Such a bar magnet, secured at its end face, utilizes but little space and nevertheless provides sufficient, attractive force for chips. Preferably, the bar magnet is arranged approximately perpendicularly to the support structureadjacent the cutting element, and extends up to about a distance of projection of the cutting element. The lower side of the bar magnet is preferably located about the level of that portion of the cutting element which overlaps the edge of a can upon opening of a can. The cutting magnet may be sheathed by a thin sleeve of non-magnetic material, through which, however, magnetic force can penetrate so that chips can be easily seen and removed. The cutting magnet may be cylindrical, for example of a diameter of about '3 to 5 mm, and have a length of about three to five times its diameter.

The invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of the can opener, in which those parts not necessary for an understanding of the invention have been omitted.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the can opener 5 in the region of the cutter element, the transport wheel 15 partly surrounding the cutter wheel.

A transport wheel 4 is located below cutter wheel 2; this transport wheel is not shown in FIG. 2. Transport wheel 4 can be moved into engagement position with a can by means of a lever 5 (partially shown) and can be rotated by a handle or electric motor as well known, and as shown in detail in the above-referred to patent. A bar, magnet 7 is located at the side of and adjacent the cutting wheel 2 (see'FIG. 1). It issecured to the support structure 1 at one of its end faces, for example by .a press fit or interference fit in a previously formed hole in the support structure. As seen in FIG. 2, bar magnet 7 is approximately perpendicular to the wall of the housing, and extends at least up to the extent of projection of the cutting wheel 2. The lower side of the bar magnet7 is located just over the edge line of the canto be cut, indicated at 8 in FIG. 1. The bar magnet 7 is so located that it does not touch cutter wheel 2. A cover 9 covers the bar magnet 7 so that cutting chips attracted by the magnet and adhered thereto can readily be seen. This cover 9 may be brass or some other material from which the chips can easily be wiped off. The bar magnet may be located before or after the cutter element, looked at from the point of view' of transport direction of the cutter element with respect to a can.

The bar magnet 7 is preferably cylindrical, has a diameter of from 3 to 5 mm, and a length of about three to five times its diameter. Such a bar magnet provides sufficient attractive forces for cutting chips and yet requires only very little space and is inexpensive both in its initial cost as well as in the cost of attaching it to the can opener as a whole.

The bar magnet can be used not only with the type 0 of can opener shown and described, but also with other types of can openers, provided that it is out of engaging contact with the cutter element, typically a cutter wheel, and located adjacent the cutter element in such a manner that, when the can opener is in engagement with a can, 'the bar magnet is located just over the edge of the can to reach thereover to attract cutting chips.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the inventive concept.

I claim:

l. A can opener comprising a support structure (1);

a cutter element (2) mounted on the support structure; a transport wheel (4) secured to the support structure in the vicinity of the cutter element arranged to engage a can to provide for relativemovement between the cutter element and a can pinched between the transport wheel and the cutter element; and

a magnet (7) to remove cutting chips during such relative movement the magnet being fixedly secured to the support structure and located thereon adjacent the engagement region of the cutter element and a can to attract chips formed during opening of the can, said position placing the magnet in a location avoiding magnetization of the cutter element, the relative positions of the magnet and the cutter element leaving a small air gap between the cutter element and the magnet and to attract chips away from the cutter element.

2. A can opener according to claim 1, wherein the magnet is a bar magnet secured with one end thereof to the support structure.

3. Can opener according to claim 2 wherein the bar magnet extends approximately perpendicularly from the support structure.

4. Can opener according to claim 3 wherein the bar magnet extends from the support structure by substantially the same extent as projection of the cutter element.

5. Can opener according to claim 1 wherein the mag net is located on the support such that its lower edge is at about the level of the portion of the cutter element which extends over the can.

6. Can opener according to claim 2 including a thin non-magnetic cover at least partly surrounding the magnet.

7. Can opener according to claim 2 wherein the magnet has a diameter of from 3 5 mm and the length of about three to five times its diameter.

8. Can opener according to claim 1 wherein the cutter element is a rotary cutter wheel, and the magnet is a bar magnet secured with one end face thereof to the support structure, the bar magnet extending approximately perpendicularly from the support structure, and being located on the support structure such that its lower edge is about at the level of the portion of the cutter wheel which extends over the can to be opened. 

1. A can opener comprising a support structure (1); a cutter element (2) mounted on the support structure; a transport wheel (4) secured to the support structure in the vicinity of the cutter element arranged to engage a can to provide for relative movement between the cutter element and a can pinched between the transport wheel and the cutter element; and a magnet (7) to remove cuTting chips during such relative movement the magnet being fixedly secured to the support structure and located thereon adjacent the engagement region of the cutter element and a can to attract chips formed during opening of the can, said position placing the magnet in a location avoiding magnetization of the cutter element, the relative positions of the magnet and the cutter element leaving a small air gap between the cutter element and the magnet and to attract chips away from the cutter element.
 2. A can opener according to claim 1, wherein the magnet is a bar magnet secured with one end thereof to the support structure.
 3. Can opener according to claim 2 wherein the bar magnet extends approximately perpendicularly from the support structure.
 4. Can opener according to claim 3 wherein the bar magnet extends from the support structure by substantially the same extent as projection of the cutter element.
 5. Can opener according to claim 1 wherein the magnet is located on the support such that its lower edge is at about the level of the portion of the cutter element which extends over the can.
 6. Can opener according to claim 2 including a thin non-magnetic cover at least partly surrounding the magnet.
 7. Can opener according to claim 2 wherein the magnet has a diameter of from 3 - 5 mm and the length of about three to five times its diameter.
 8. Can opener according to claim 1 wherein the cutter element is a rotary cutter wheel, and the magnet is a bar magnet secured with one end face thereof to the support structure, the bar magnet extending approximately perpendicularly from the support structure, and being located on the support structure such that its lower edge is about at the level of the portion of the cutter wheel which extends over the can to be opened. 